Depardieu ready for Rasputin

Will play famed 'mad monk' in TV adap

Cannes 2010 - Gerard Depardieu is set to play Rasputin in a new TV co-production.

The imaginatively titled Raspoutine will be based around the final two years of the mystic's life, and explore the influence he was believed to hold over the Russian royal family.

Although the project is being developed for television, producers are reportedly open to the option of a cinematic release.

A spokeperson for French producers BTween, Elena Duffort, told Variety that Depardieu has long wanted to play Rasputin.

Duffort went on to praise the relatively new Russian Pavilion now installed at Cannes, and its importance in promoting the country's film industry.

"Our biggest projects have always suffered from a lack of publicity," she said. "The fact that we have a Russian Pavilion in Cannes - where information is available in English and our door is always open - is essential to our business."

Is Depardieu born to play Rasputin? More importantly, did you know Rasputin's penis has its own Wikipedia page?